Senior Forwards Stepping Up
After four weeks of play, it’s pretty clear who worked on their game over the summer and who didn’t. These five seniors — Eddie Colbert, Mario Lacy, Nigel Martin, Noah Pack, and Alec Pfriem — are leading the category of…
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Continue ReadingAfter four weeks of play, it’s pretty clear who worked on their game over the summer and who didn’t. These five seniors — Eddie Colbert, Mario Lacy, Nigel Martin, Noah Pack, and Alec Pfriem — are leading the category of hard-workers and breakout performers.
Eddie Colbert, 6’6” W/F, Whitmer
Colbert has been spectacular as Whitmer’s primary scorer through five games as he’s averaging 23 points and seven rebounds. The Panthers are wowing Northwest Ohio with a 5-0 record and wins over three teams who were thought of as top Division I teams in the area — St. Francis, Rogers, and St. John’s. The other night against SJJ, although Whitmer struggled in the first half, Colbert kept them in it by scoring 19 of their 22 points before the break. He has improved athletically and on the boards while taking steps forward as a shooter, too. Division II programs looking for size should be all over Colbert right now.
Mario Lacy, 6’7” F, Euclid
When speaking with Euclid head coach TJ Kwasniak about Lacy the other night, he just kept saying, “I’ve never seen anybody improve this much over one summer.” Lacy has turned into a guy that averages nearly 20 points while still doing all the little things. Lacy is a long, athletic forward that scores mostly in the post and can control the glass. His jumper is unorthodox, but his athleticism and post-up ability, Kwasniak believes, should give him the opportunity to play D-II college ball.
Nigel Martin, 6’5” W, Cleveland Heights
Martin simply isn’t the same guy who we saw at John Hay last season. While his numbers were there last season, Martin has turned the corner in terms of skill and efficiency. He can get to the rim with power but his handle is also improved. Martin is shooting the 3-ball at 40 percent on 15 attempts — a sign of improvement. He averages 22.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. He’s one of the top available wings in Ohio right now.
Noah Pack, 6’8” F, Georgetown
Pack recently made his pledge to Thomas More and, by the day, that is looking like a huge pickup for a program that recently made the leap to NAIA status. His combination of size and skill could be a real difference-maker for Thomas More and for sure for Georgetown in the meantime. Pack averages a gross 21 points and 17.5 rebounds at the moment. Don’t let the rebounding stat fool you, Pack is more than a beast on the boards. He can also make plays and shoot with range.
Alec Pfriem, 6’4” W/F, Moeller
In the two games we caught in the early season, Pfriem’s experience in Moeller’s offense simply provides stability. He doesn’t let the Crusaders get into a frenzy, but he’s also not passing up open lanes to the basket. Pfriem averages 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists at the moment. He’s also one of several players capable of switching pretty much everything in their defense. Pfriem is a great fit for Bellarmine, where he has signed to play at.